Connecticut Retail/Hospitality

KBE Continues Tradition of Retail Building in Northeast

Porland, Conn KBE Cumberland Farms Credit to Paul Burk Photography

Portland, Conn. KBE Cumberland Farms
Credit to Paul Burk Photography

Portland, Conn – In keeping with the efficiency of the convenience store model, KBE Building Corporation recently announced its completion of the new Cumberland Farms convenience store and gas station in Portland, Connecticut.

Despite harsh winter weather and other challenges, the $300 million commercial construction firm demolished the existing convenience store and two-pump gas station and built a new 4,600sf Cumberland Farms-branded convenience store and eight-pump gas station in its place.

“It’s exciting to have finished our first Cumberland Farms,” said KBE president and CEO, Mike Kolakowski, who purchased KBE in 2007 with fellow senior executives Eric Brown and Simon Etzel.

Cumberland Farms provides residents in eight states with convenient access to gas, coffee, and food and beverage items, along with many everyday needs. The company has nearly 600 stores and more than 6,000 employees.

Located at 204 Marlborough Road, the Portland Cumberland Farms features freshly prepared hot sandwiches, a shake machine, and a state-of-the-art Chill Zone – all with a commitment to cleanliness.

 

“Cumberland Farms stores are known for being clean and pleasant,” said Kolakowski. “In construction, jobsite cleanliness correlates directly to safety, which is KBE’s priority.”

 

The winner of Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) Awards of Achievement every year since 1995, KBE recently signed a partnership with OSHA to help facilitate voluntary safety improvements during the Jewish Senior Services Project in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

 

“Whether we’re looking out for our employees and subcontractors on the jobsite or we’re spending time volunteering in the community, we make people our focus at KBE,” said Kolakowski.

 

Since its 2009 inception, the firm’s charitable giving program, 50 Ways to Make a Difference, has donated more than $1.2 million and 5,000 volunteer hours to charitable organizations in Connecticut and Maryland.

 

The Portland Cumberland Farms opened to the public on May 9. In addition to the Portland project, KBE was recently awarded two more Cumberland Farms projects in Connecticut. Construction for the Milford and Quaker Hill locations began in late May.